Our panel of NFL experts predicts Week 7's biggest upsets, fantasy football flops and potential sleepers. Plus, they make a few predictions for the season.
Dive into our analysts' takes on who has been dominant, whom they're worried about and more.
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What's your top upset pick for Week 7?
Matt Bowen, NFL writer: Ravens (+3.5) over Seahawks. Getting wide receiver Marquise Brown back in the mix will create more explosive-play opportunities for Baltimore, but this is still about the run game and play-action throws for quarterback Lamar Jackson on the road in Seattle. Jackson has 42 rushing attempts in his past three games. Look for the designed-run concepts to create issues for the Seahawks' defense.
Mike Clay, NFL writer: Eagles (+3) over Cowboys. After putting 13 touchdowns on the board against the Giants, Redskins and Dolphins during Weeks 1-3, the Cowboys' offense has stumbled to six scores against the Saints, Packers and Jets over the past three weeks. Dallas is the home team in this one, yes, but the Cowboys have surrendered a ton of points to opposing offenses at AT&T Stadium in recent seasons, and the Dallas offense is dealing with multiple significant injuries, including one that limited Amari Cooper to three snaps in Week 6.
Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Cardinals (+3) over Giants. I think Arizona's clicking a little bit on offense these past couple of weeks, and the Giants don't have enough on defense to stop them. It's entirely possible the Giants of Week 7 will look nothing like the Thursday night Week 6 Giants, as they could have Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram back. But I don't see who's walking through that door who can help them stop anybody.
Jeremy Fowler, national NFL writer: Broncos (+3.5) over Chiefs. Denver is due, losing seven straight against Kansas City. The Chiefs' run defense is in trouble, Patrick Mahomes needs rest on that ankle injury and the Broncos finally have settled in after the 0-4 start. Denver coach Vic Fangio is known as an aggressive defensive playcaller but was too passive early in the season. He'll go after Mahomes on Thursday night.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: Eagles (+3) over Cowboys. A matchup of 3-3 teams will determine who holds the NFC East lead after Week 7, and I expect Philly to emerge victorious on the road. While we know each team has its vulnerabilities, one area of strength for Philly that I think can decide this game is its outstanding run defense. Containing Ezekiel Elliott -- even if just a little bit -- will help the Eagles pull the upset.
Seth Walder, sports analytics writer: Raiders over Packers. The Raiders are coming off a bye and the Packers have a short week -- that rest differential matters. Also, Derek Carr is only two spots (!) behind Aaron Rodgers in Total QBR season ranking.
Who is your pick for non-QB MVP of the league so far, and why?
Bowen: Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. Christian McCaffrey is probably the pick here, but don't sleep on Cook. The Minnesota running back is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, while posting 796 total yards and six touchdowns for the 4-2 Vikings. He's playing fast.
Clay: Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey. Running back might be one of the most replaceable positions in the league, but you enter a different stratosphere when you play as many snaps and do as much damage as both a rusher and receiver as McCaffrey has this season. The third-year back has played a ridiculous 96% of the Panthers' snaps, has scored nine touchdowns in six games and is averaging 21.2 carries and 7.3 targets per game. Carolina has won four consecutive games and most of it has been on McCaffrey's back.
Graziano: McCaffrey. I know he didn't pile up the yards in Week 6, but I think we can give him a little bit of a break considering the way he carried the Panthers' offense through the first five weeks. Carolina is 4-2 in spite of not having had its starting quarterback since Week 2, and the reason is McCaffrey, through whom the offense runs.
Fowler: McCaffrey. I wanted to be less predictable here, and Aaron Donald, the resident best defender on the planet, is always a safe choice. But McCaffrey is accounting for nearly 44% of the Panthers' offensive output and half the team's touchdowns. He's on pace for 2,461 yards, which would rank second all time. No way the Panthers are sitting at 4-2 without him.
Yates: McCaffrey. The Panthers have featured him in a role that is nearly unmatched among backs leaguewide. There is no hole in his game, a defense is forced to devise its whole game plan around him, and yet he continues to find the end zone and pile up yards along the way.
Walder: Rams DT Aaron Donald. He ranks first in ESPN's pass-rush win rate (24%) despite the fact he is also double-teamed as a defensive tackle (71%) more than anyone else in the league (data via Next Gen Stats). No one else is on another planet from the rest of his position group quite like No. 99.
Who's your pick to be the biggest fantasy flop this weekend?
Bowen: Bears WR Allen Robinson. He has seen at least seven targets in every game this season, and he's averaging 12.2 yards per catch. However, with the Saints' pressure defense and cornerback Marshon Lattimore on tap Sunday, the Bears' limited QB play could be exposed again.
Clay: Jets WR Robby Anderson. He has caught 14 of 38 targets for 144 yards and zero touchdowns on 213 career routes (seven games) against New England. That includes in Week 3 earlier this season when he posted a 3-11-0 line on five targets. New England has shadowed Anderson with either Stephon Gilmore or Malcolm Butler each of the past five meetings, and we should expect another Anderson/Gilmore shadow this weekend. Even with Sam Darnold back, Anderson should be on benches.
Graziano: Jets RB Le'Veon Bell. He's playing the Patriots. What else do you need to say at this point?
Fowler: Seahawks RB Chris Carson. Not many running backs have been hotter than Carson, who has averaged 115 rushing yards per game since Week 4. But the Ravens have the league's fourth-best rushing defense and know they have to stall Seattle's play-action. Carson will have a respectable day as a result, but he'll fall off his current pace as Russell Wilson scrambles around for first downs.
Yates: Redskins WR Terry McLaurin. We all know it by now: The 49ers' defense is legit. The Rams' trio of outstanding wideouts was limited to just seven combined catches for 35 yards, one week after San Francisco limited Odell Beckham Jr. to two catches for 27 yards. The 49ers' front seven should wreak havoc against an overmatched Redskins offensive line, setting up a tough day for the Washington passing offense.
Walder: Robinson. Lattimore is on fire. Over the past three weeks, Amari Cooper, Mike Evans and DJ Chark all have seen Lattimore line up across from them on the vast majority of their snaps, per NFL Next Gen Stats research. All were held to under 50 receiving yards, and the trio combined for just 39 yards when Lattimore was the nearest defender. Robinson does play in the slot about a third of the time, but when he's outside it should be rough going for him.
Fill in the blank: ________ has been the NFL's best offseason addition.
Bowen: 49ers LB Kwon Alexander. The defensive line is nasty, and the addition of Alexander upgrades the speed and athleticism at the second level in San Francisco. With Alexander in the mix, the 49ers boast the best nickel front in the NFL.
Clay: Packers LB Preston Smith. I could have gone a few different ways here, but the combination of the return to health of the incumbents and the strong play of the newcomers has the Packers' defense locked in as one of the breakout units of the 2019 season. Smith has been a major part of the success, with 23 tackles, seven sacks and an interception while playing 87% of the snaps.
Graziano: The Packers' Smiths, DE Za'Darius and Preston. They've combined for 13 sacks and have completely transformed the Green Bay defense in a crucial area. The Packers' 5-1 record and 3-0 division record are a direct result of their defensive improvements, and these guys are the faces of it. I couldn't pick just one, and I don't think I should have to. The Packers even make the two of them available for interviews simultaneously in the locker room after the game.
Fowler: Texans OT Laremy Tunsil. This is more about what Tunsil represents -- more hope for Deshaun Watson in the pocket -- than the singular talent. The Texans' line is markedly better, and trading two first-round picks for Tunsil, though shortsighted in the long term, strengthens a playoff contender now. Watson has been battered for so long that his streak of two consecutive games without a sack became a major talking point. The result: The Texans are top six in total offense and rushing offense.
Yates: Patriots LB Jamie Collins. If the league voted on a Defensive Player of the Year award right now, Collins would be a top contender. He's been everywhere for the Patriots, leading them in linebacker snaps, piling up picks and sacks, affecting the game on seemingly every down he's on the field. Moreover, the Patriots snagged Collins on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. It's an incredible value.
Walder: Buccaneers LB Shaquil Barrett. He's a league co-leader in sacks and is legitimately in the non-QB MVP discussion. The Bucs landed that production for the paltry price of $4 million -- quite the snag.
Pick a fringe fantasy player who should be started in Week 7.
Bowen: Broncos RB Royce Freeman. Freeman has 31 total touches in his past two games, and when they host Kansas City on Thursday, I expect the Broncos to follow the same run-heavy script of the Colts and Texans in consecutive victories over the Chiefs. That puts Freeman in the flex range for me this week.
Clay: Bills RB Frank Gore. He is averaging 15.0 carries a game this season, but a minimal receiving role has limited him to 11.0 fantasy points per game. Expect one of his better performances in Week 7 with the struggling Dolphins in town. As a double-digit favorite, Buffalo should be able to run the ball plenty against the team that has allowed the most rushing attempts and yardage to running backs this season.
Graziano: Giants QB Daniel Jones! Come on, people. Get on the bandwagon! This is the only quarterback in the league who has thrown a touchdown pass against the Patriots this season. And the Cardinals ... well, they ain't the Patriots. Arizona has been one of the most permissive defenses for fantasy QBs this season. The Giants' defense can't stop anybody. This looks like a shootout game and another chance for Jones to make one of the most-criticized 2019 draft picks look good.
Fowler: Redskins RB Adrian Peterson. Who cares if the 49ers' front is stout? The Redskins are giving Peterson the ball, and he's looking to punctuate his mid-30s career arc with a string of 100-yard games. Interim coach Bill Callahan gave him the ball 23 times out of the backfield last weekend and he delivered with 118 yards. The sheer workload should help Peterson put up respectable fantasy points, even if rushing lanes are clogged.
Yates: Rams QB Jared Goff. It seems crazy that we already are at the point of Goff being a question mark for fantasy football, but he is. He's carrying just a 1-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, but he should benefit from facing a woeful Falcons defense that trails only the Dolphins in terms of points per game allowed. Goff has had his road struggles, but facing a generous defense in a dome should alleviate those concerns.
Walder: Bills WR John Brown. One way or another the Bills are going to score 30 on the Dolphins, because every non-incompetent team thus far has. Might as well take a stab with Brown, who is averaging more than 100 targeted air yards per game.